


Small, Impossible Futures

by Curlsandcollege



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Abyss - Freeform, F/M, Fortune Telling, Futures, Lysithea still has hope, Research
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:14:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curlsandcollege/pseuds/Curlsandcollege
Summary: What’s a fortune teller to a woman with no future?Lysithea explores the Abyss and finds herself drawn to the Wayseer’s table. While she’s skeptical at best, a small part of her deep down can’t deny that researching with Linhardt gives her hope she may have more time than she thought.
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31
Collections: Those Who Drabble in the Dark





	Small, Impossible Futures

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Felannie Discord prompt "The Wayseer."
> 
> Me: Biggest work deadline for the year coming up, no writing this week, only work  
> Also Me: but the PROMPT

Linhardt promised that the Abyss was full of great secrets and conspiracies. Yet, to Lysithea’s keen senses, it was a dirty place full of ruffians who all smelled faintly of booze and sweat and _cabbage_ for some reason. 

  
Even his beloved Abyss library was a hastily disorganized pile of scraps that could _barely_ be called a library more than a stack of books. Secrets? She’d found a cake recipe that used Morphis Plums in an unique way but that was the most interesting thing she’d found in at least an hour. The whole endeavor felt like a waste of time, and there was nothing Lysithea hated more than feeling seconds tick by, wasted. 

  
The professor was clear in her orders, and Balthus’ warning rang through her head. No one was to try to enter or exit Abyss by themselves. Being able to defend oneself was a given here. More secrets roamed the halls than simply ruffians.   
  
Not that she couldn’t eviscerate anyone who attacked her, but Lin was always a softer touch.   
  
If she wanted to start traversing the secret passage between the monastery and this decrepit little city she would need to drag Linhardt away from his precious boring incomplete books. For his sake. He’d get bored or offend the guide, someone would attack him because even now he was so clearly _rich_ even if he was fighting against his own country and Linhardt was always more willing to just empty out his pockets than stand his ground and fight.   
  
He’d lost several promising pages of notes and a great deal of money that way, or so he explained to her once. He was just so odd sometimes, so single mindedly focused in one moment, so willing to let her want her own wants even if he disagreed. She always liked him most when he was _doing_ something, not that he did much if left to his own devices.   
  


“Linhardt this is useless.” Lysithea complained louder than she’d ever spoken in a library in her entire life.   
  
“No, it’s not.” He disagreed, keeping his eyes trained on the tome on the table. It was half burnt and moldy. Lysithea huffed, her shoulders tensing in frustration.   
  
“I’m not learning anything here, there’s no black magic here I don’t already know. I’d learn more up in the regular library and I wouldn’t need a bath after.” Lysithea valued Linhardt’s scholarship. He was nearly as smart as she was, she could give him that. But it was his general demeanor that drove her crazy. His pace to life, each breath gentle and measured as if he knew he had an innumerable more. Even though he knew. About her.   
  


“I’m learning a lot. For example, did you know how many Riegan crests are found across the continent? It traces back to a generation of Riegans who had ten daughters, each with a major crest. If this tome is to be believed…”   
  
“Linhardt, is this going to help with my,” her voice lowered, “Issue?” The library was empty save the two of them, still, bringing up her shortened lifespan was near painful.   
  
Linhardt looked up from the book he was reading, “It won’t not help. If you’re bored here why don’t you go find something to do? Meet back up with me later. I’ll only need say, an hour or so. Being down here always makes me tired.”   
  
She half smiled, “Everything makes you tired. Fine. One hour. That’s it.” 

Linhardt buried his nose back into his research and raised a hand, gesturing elegantly to waive her off. This, at least, was something he could be efficient about. Neither of them minded rudeness in the other. Some pair of nobles.

Lysithea picked a direction and walked. The paths were dirty but clear, no one tried to mug her outright at least. Every time she saw a child her heart caught. Did they have parents? How did a child end up in a place like this? The market was uninteresting, not that she had much coin to spend on illicit weapons anyway. Maybe she’d ask Linhardt, he never seemed to mind wasting money. As she continued down the street the dank mold smell began to blend into the heady smell of incense.   
  
A small hand lettered sign read above a small door, _The Wayseer, Teller of Futures_ , _Sealer of Fates_

As her gaze settled on the last word she felt something thick in her throat.   
  
What was a fortune teller to someone who had no future? 

Fortunes were nothing but nonsense anyway. No one could tell the future. Time was beyond the reach of magic. If this _Wayseer_ could truly tell the future wouldn’t she be used to predict battles? Crops? Calamities? Pegasus races?   
  
What would someone with such power be doing down here? 

She sniffed and entered, appreciating the ambiance cast by the enchanted candles. Charlatan or not, this Wayseer knew what she was doing.   
  
“Why hello there,” A high pitched voice greeted. A woman loomed behind a crystal ball, coated in shining gold jewelry. She was younger than Lysithea expected, face uncovered, unusual for a mage in Abyss. She was pretty, with a gentle smile.   
  
Lysithea stood stock still in the doorway, taking in the small elegantly appointed room. A haze of incense smoke obscured everything and yet she felt oddly at ease in the space.   
  
“Come closer child, you wish to hear your fortune?” The Wayseer’s voice added to the spell, cutting high above the fog.

Lysithea bristled at her order, then almost laughed as she remembered what she was doing. Sure. Her fortune.   
  
“What would you tell me? You’re going to seal my fate? I know my fate. Try me.” She challenged her. If this was magic, surely this woman would rise to the challenge. If she was lying, she would start with a cruel trick. Something small. Lysithea liked being right, it was one of her greatest joys in the world. She could throw this woman’s charade right back in her jeweled face.   
  
The Wayseer smiled warmly, staring straight into her eyes. Their gazes held for a long moment as tension built in the room. Then she spoke.“Oh I know your fate dear. It’s quite different than you imagine, I’m sure. But I’ll speak only to small things.”   
  
How transparent, Lysithea almost rolled her eyes. Sure, she knows all, knows fates- they’re unexpected of course. But no, this all powerful woman will only give her a snippet. Something easily guessed.   
  
Lysithea played along, smiling cruelly, “Sure. Something small. What do you know of my future?” 

The crystal ball on the table glowed with a warm purple light, filling the room before suddenly flashing. Lysithea wondered idly if Constance helped the woman cast the effect, it seemed like something in her flashy wheelhouse.   
  
“Yes I have a clear view of your future. A bit after the war ends… Hmm...” And for a moment, Lysithea tried to believe that perhaps this woman could peer through time, even just a little. Knowing she’d survive the war was enough of a gift, though surely if the Wayseer was wrong Lysithea wouldn’t have time to be smug about it. Yet, as she took a breath, letting the smoke fill her lungs and pour down into her belly, something buzzed. A lingering nuisance. Hope. If she could say something, anything that rang true, she could hope for a little time.   
  
“Well well, you’re going to be married quite happily one day. A small wedding, mid day per your groom’s presence. A great deal of cake at your insistence.”   
  
Lysithea scowled, disappointed again. It was foolish to think anything could change. Even worse to believe this _Wayseer_ could hold the keys. Lysithea had no future, she certainly wouldn’t share it with anyone. Why let someone grow close? She wouldn’t. She didn’t. The pain she caused her parents was more than enough, she need not subject anyone else to her misfortune.   
  
“Oh really?” Lysithea crossed her arms, displeased.   
  
“Yes. And your husband, him I can see quite clearly. Someone’s quite invested in the two of you working out in the end.”   
  
“Let me guess, a vailant knight? A nobleman?” She taunted. The Wayseer would only tell her what she wanted to hear. Silly.   
  
Her gaze drifted from the crystal ball up to Lysithea’s face, and a lip quirked up in amusement.   
  
“No nothing like that dear. I assumed you knew your own tastes by now. I guess you haven’t realized. You’re young. You have time.”

Lysithea felt sick at her wrongness. How dare this woman play with fates? 

She continued speaking rhythmically as if she were casting a spell, “No. He’s a commoner, when you marry. You work together, in your way. He drives you a little crazy, but you learn to love his methods.”   
  
With each word she spoke Lysithea stared upward, trying to keep tears at bay. Why, why was hearing about a future, her future so hard? She knew it was all a lie. She understood what she wouldn’t have. But the way the woman spoke, Lysithea could almost see it in her mind's eye. Love, a future. Reading together, talking about magic and... tall with blue eyes and pin straight green hair. No. No she couldn’t have that. None of that.   
  
“And your children-”   
  
Lysithea had to end this, “You’re a liar and a cheat. I’ll never have any of that. If you could do anything, see anything, you’d know I have no future at all.” She balled her fists at her side, curling her toes in her shoes trying to keep her anger at bay. A liar. A dirty rotten liar.   
Lysithea turned to leave as the Wayseer’s gentle voice lilted,   
  
“Your children have your golden hair, was all I was going to say. Everyone in the village knows they’re yours. It’s sweet.”   
  
Lysithea took a deep breath as her mind processed her words. Golden hair? She hadn’t had blonde hair since…

“Who are you?” Lysithea demanded approaching the table sharply. Either she knew _exactly_ who Lysithea was, what she kept hidden about her family and her past, what she was working towards. She was a cruel criminal who played to Lysithea’s deepest hopes, the ones that she never let herself settled on in the end. Or. 

Or she could truly see a future. And if she could see a future then...  
  
“I’m who I say I am, dear girl. Now, I can’t tell you much more but your future is very much on the table. Why would you come in here if you didn’t believe that, just a little?”   
  
The Wayseer spoke with such casual lightness when she said the impossible.   
  
“How?” her voice shook.   
  
“I have the sight of course.” Another warm smile and Lysithea took a deep breath, noticing for the first time how the incense masked the thick, burnt smell of reason magic. Powerful reason magic. The kind of magic that choked the lungs and made her hair stand on end. How did she miss this? What other illusion was at play.   
  
She centered herself, staring at the Wasyeer, not recognizing the crack in her own voice as she asked her questions desperately.   
  
“No how do I do it? How does that happen? You know it’s not so simple.” An understatement of the greatest degree.   
  
The Wayseer laughed. “It doesn’t happen so easily of course, as you and I well know. But your fate is ironclad. Someone saw to that before our meeting, they’re quite invested. Stay the path.”   
  
The path, what in the world? She’d hardly found anything, no one understood one thing about her crests. The greatest crest scholar in the world couldn’t help her but she merely had to keep doing… Something?   
  
“What does that mean? Stay the path?”   
  
The Wayseer just smiled as she instructed, “Go back to the library. He’s just found something interesting he’s dying to share with you.”   
  
Lysithea stood, dumbfounded feeling like she had more questions than answers. Incredible answers, sure. But truly unbelievable. How would she know?   
  
Finally, she found her words. Too many emotions surged but she settled on simplicity. “How do I know you’re not a liar?”   
  
The Wayseer waved her hand over her crystal ball, and it glowed again with a warm golden light. Her voice reverberated, laced with laughter. 

“You don’t. But it’s already begun Lysithea. Don’t give up now. You are not without a future if you try.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone else running around and making poor gameplay choices to make SURE Lysithea lives at the end? Only me? 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
